'Euphoria' On LI As Undocumented Apply For Drivers' Licenses

LONG ISLAND, NY — Long lines stretched outside the Department of Motor Vehicles in Riverhead and at other locations across Long Island Monday — on a day many deemed "historic" — as undocumented immigrants were allowed, for the first time, to apply for driver's licenses in New York State.

According to the New York State DMV, the Driver's License Access and Privacy Act, or the Green Light Law, was enacted on June 17 and took effect on Monday.

The law allows all New Yorkers age 16 and older to apply for a standard, not for federal purpose, non-commercial driver license or learner permit regardless of their citizenship or lawful status in the United States; driver license applicants who have never been issued a Social Security Number are eligible to apply.

Those applying must sign an affidavit of never having been issued a Social Security number; and, in addition to proof that the DMV currently accepts, can also show other forms of proof, including a valid, unexpired consular identification document issued by a consulate; a valid foreign driver license that includes a photo and which is either unexpired or expired for less than 24 months; a permanent resident card, either unexpired or expired for less than 24 months; an employment authorization card; a border crossing card; a U.S. municipal ID card with photo; a foreign marriage or divorce record or court-issued name change decree, or a foreign birth certificate.

Immigration advocates across Long Island applauded the measure.

"It took bravery, not politics, to see it through," said Minerva Perez, executive director of Organización Latino-Americana, or OLA, on the East End, after lawmakers first passed the legislation. "More than anything, my message is one that urges all of us to work together to make this a success for New York. Not to gloat. But to truly work together as only New Yorkers can. Then we will have a success worth hollering about."

She added that although many detractors have said those advocating for the measure do not care about the safety of New York residents: "Of course they care. This . . . is about safety. It is not about anything else. It is not about politics. It's a non-partisan issue."

Despite the victory, advocacy groups did point out that the first day was not without some confusion.

"We all knew this day was going to be a big, fat mess," said Sister Mary Beth Moore, who works with immigrants in Hampton Bays through the Centro Corazon de Maria, and who is also the chairperson of Neighbors In Support of Immigrants in Hampton Bays. "We knew it, and we couldn't find any way of preventing it." The DMV, she said, wasn't prepared for the sheer number of individuals who came pouring in; she said she felt for the DMV employees "up to their eyeballs" in work who were trying to handle the "wave of pent-up desire and need for licenses that split open today."

"This is the first good thing to happen to immigrants since 1986, the best thing since Lincoln freed the slaves"

She and other advocates on the East End have been working in advance of Monday to educate undocumented individuals, handing out flyers with information on what to bring to apply. "But still, there was no way to handle the hundreds of people on the first day."

Still, she added, "This is a good 'problem.'" Individuals who have been waiting for years were up before dawn to begin lining up, she said. "This is a very positive, very joyful thing," Sister Moore said. "This is the first good thing to happen to immigrants since 1986," when President Ronald Regan signed a wide-reaching immigration reform bill into law.

The new licenses, she said, offer the undocumented government issued ID, so when they are stopped on the road for an infraction, they can show that they are insured and have insurance. "It's the best thing since Lincoln freed the slaves," she said.

And the measure means safety for all on the roads, Sister Moore added. "On the East End, where I live and work, people drive without licenses because there is no other way they can survive, live, get their children to school and get to work — to keep the economy of the East End humming. This is safety for everyone. Politics be damned."

Martha Maffei of SEPA Mujer, Long Island's Long Island's only Latina immigrant women's rights organization, with offices in Patchogue, Huntington Station, Riverhead and Hampton Bays, said the group has been reaching out to provide education to those hoping to apply for licenses, even sending volunteers to local DMVs with undocumented individuals to help. The first day was something many have worked for, for many years. "To finally have it be a reality now is exciting. We had people waiting on line since 4 a.m.," she said.

Sister Margaret Smyth of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate in Riverhead agreed the measure was a good thing for all, equaling safety on the roads. "Hopefully it will put all drivers in a more responsible position, not just immigrants — people who have been driving around without licenses. It's time to really get everyone in order."

With scores packing her office all day, Sister Smyth said the feeling was one of happiness, that individuals who had not been able to drive their sick children to the doctor in past years, for example, will now have options. She added that her organization has also been working hard to educate, to help individuals make advance appointments, and to gather necessary documentation.

But the wait for a DMV appointment is now lengthy, she added — up to March in Riverhead and a bit less in places including Port Jefferson.

No matter what the wait, she said, the feeling is one of relief. "Everyone has had the same problems: 'How do I get to work?' 'How do I not have to fear being stopped.' Now there is a general euphoria. And people are really committed to learning how to do this."

Down the line, Sister Smyth said training sessions will be offered on the East End on how to apply. "It's been a good day, and it's going to continue until everyone gets a license," she said.

The day has been a long time coming: A crowd took to the streets in Riverhead in March at an gathering attended by immigrant advocacy groups from across Long Island in support of drivers' licenses for all.

According to the Green Light NY points out that currently, there had been 12 states nationwide that had already offered licenses to undocumented drivers.

"New York is falling behind California and Washington and our neighbors Connecticut and Vermont as a national leader on immigrant rights," the group said, adding that "access to drivers' license are urgently needed. Without licenses, immigrants cannot drive to work or buy groceries or take their children to school or the hospital. When immigrants don't have access to licenses, a routine traffic stop can lead to deportation and the separation of families. Moreover, extended licenses to immigrants will make our roads safer and lead to a stronger New York economy."

According to a post by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Driver's License Access and Privacy Act, often called the Green Light bill makes licenses available to New Yorkers regardless of immigration status and could help 265,000 individuals statewide obtain licenses.

The NYCLU said the licenses are critical because any encounter with police for immigrants without government issued-ID can lead to arrest or even deportation. Proponents of the measure also said that providing licenses would make roads safer and allow all drivers to be insured.

And, said the NYCLU, licensing drivers can prove a boon to the economy statewide, with the Fiscal Policy institute estimating that the move could mean a $57 million annual revenue infusion and $27 million in one-time revenue.

Others took to social media Monday to blast the new law, stating they hoped that those on line would be "deported."

And not all lawmakers supported the bill: New York State Senator Ken LaValle, Sister Moore said, "has said his constituents are not interested. We think he does not have up to date information for 2019."

LaValle did not immediately respond to a request for comment but his spokesman told News 12 in a past interview that he opposed giving drivers' licenses for anyone in the country illegally.